Silver State Times

LAS VEGAS – On May 29, 2023, Congresswoman Susie Lee (D-NV) hosted Congressman David Valadao (R-CA) in a tour of southern Nevada as part of a unique, bipartisan exchange. The tour consisted of stops and discussions with Nevada leaders at MP Materials Mountain Pass Rare Earth Mine, UNLV’s Black Fire Innovation Hub, the Lake Mead Lakeview Overlook, and the Southern Nevada Counter Terrorism Center. 

Despite hailing from different political parties, Congresswoman Lee and Congressman Valadao are both members of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus. As leading voices in Congress on many shared issues, including public lands, renewable energy, and Western water issues, the two Members are joining one another in district tours to demonstrate how policy can meet practice, engaging with constituents on the ground facing these issues directly every day. 

“Congressman Valadao and I represent very different districts, but our constituents, whether in Las Vegas or central California, have shared stories and shared values that we can champion together in Congress,” said Congresswoman Lee (D-NV). “Opportunities like this bipartisan exchange are all too rare in Washington. You can’t work across the aisle if you don’t know who you’re talking to and where they come from. This trip highlighted the opportunities where we can work together, and I’m so grateful to Congressman Valadao for making the trip. I look forward to visiting his district and to our continued work together in Washington.” 

“Building relationships with members across the aisle is how we’re able to find compromise and get things done in Washington,” said Congressman Valadao (R-CA). “I was grateful for the opportunity to learn more about issues in Nevada that also have an impact on my Central Valley constituents, like water use and energy production. Thank you to the Bipartisan Policy Center and Rep. Lee for an educational day of site tours around Nevada’s 3rd District.” 

Background on the Tour: 

Congresswoman Lee and Congressman Valadao kicked off the day by traveling to the Mountain Pass Rare Earth Mine. Owned and operated by MP Materials Corp., which is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, this mine is the only integrated rare earth mine and processing facility in the nation. Congresswoman Lee and Congressman Valadao joined company executives in a tour of the mine and a discussion of the challenges of developing clean energy technologies amid supply chain constraints. 

The second stop of the day took the lawmakers to Black Fire Innovation, a hospitality and gaming research institute located at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Congresswoman Lee and Congressman Valadao toured integrated resort incubators, and gaming and hospitality testing labs. This stop concluded with a working lunch with the leadership of the research institute that focused on government collaboration with business and innovation incubators. 

Next, the Members traveled to Lake Mead to lead a discussion on Western water conservation. Joined by staff from the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) and the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, the Members discussed the Lower Basin states’ leadership in striking a historic deal to protect the Colorado River’s future water supplies. 

The final stop on the bipartisan exchange tour brought Congresswoman Lee and Congressman Valadao to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s Southern Nevada Counter Terrorism Center. Meeting with Center leadership and Technical Operations staff, the Members toured the facility and discussed the Center’s important information-sharing role in counter terrorism and efforts to foster community partnerships. 

Representing the Third Congressional District of Nevada, Congresswoman Lee is a bipartisan champion for local Las Vegas issues. As Vice-Chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus, Congresswoman Lee has been named #10 most bipartisan member of 435 in the U.S. House and the most bipartisan from Nevada. In this post, she has worked tirelessly across the aisle to find ways to lower costs, address Western drought, keep public lands in public hands, and fight for hardworking Nevadans. 

Original source can be found here.